CHUCK TODD, THE NEW “MEET THE PRESS” HOST HAS A BIG JOB AHEAD

…NBC’s “Meet The Press” host, Chuck Todd

Chuck Todd must work on not selling himself as a “Washington Outsider”.

The veteran Washington reporter, Chuck Todd, was selected to replace David Gregory, the less than totally successful host of the longest running radio and TV program, Meet The Press. 

It’s probably not fair to make any negative comments about Mr. Gregory, as he had the bad luck to be called upon to replace the highly popular and successful MTP host, Tim Russert, who had died suddenly of a heart attack in 2008. 

At 16 years, and the winner of many journalistic awards, the popular Mr. Russert was the longest-ever running host of Meet The Press.  So filling those shoes would have been a big job for whomever was anointed to take over for such a well-liked and successful host.  For many decades, regardless of all the competing wannabe Sunday political TV shows, MTP continued to maintain its role as the premier show for all politicians to present their views on a Sunday interview program.

As compared to competitive programs on the cable networks such as FOX NEWS, NBC’s MTP is also best known for maintaining a strict non-partisan political position.  For this reason, they will have politicians on their show from all political persuasions.  This is as compared to the FOX Sunday shows where you will only find all those crazies from the far right.  Yes, you will always see the Sarah Palin’s and the crazy Louie Gohmert’s regularly on FOX espousing their bizarre ideas.  MTP would only have those same individuals on their show if they were there to offer some serious political discussions on any given subject.

My point about the new host, Mr. Todd, is that I think he could eventually have a similar following as did the very capable and popular Mr. Russert.  They both had come from working themselves up from the bottom as serious political reporters and Mr. Todd has been covering Washington as a reporter for the last 22 years.  According to the NBC News President, Deborah Turness, she wrote about Chuck’s new roll on MTP, “…there is no one with a bigger passion for [American] politics than Chuck.”

I have been watching and following Chuck Todd’s daily political show on MSNBC, The Daily Rundown, now for some years.  He has always had a very fair approach to American politics and he seriously calls it like he sees it….and he’s usually correct. 

Chuck became MSNBC’s political director in 2007, and he had also been a contributing editor to MTP, which obviously made him a clear candidate to replace Mr. Gregory.  He is also an MSNBC and NBC News' political analyst, as well as for the NBC Nightly News and the Today Show. 

As to Chuck’s educational background, Chuck attended George Washington University, where he majored in political science.  However, he played French horn in the University Orchestra and had initially attended the university on a music scholarship. 

Chuck comes from very humble beginnings, as did Mr. Russert, and he grew up middle-class while attending high school in South Florida.  Chuck has said that while growing up, times could be rough for his former home life, as his father wasn’t always fully employed.

The question that is being asked today and that Mr. Todd will need to deal with is the idea that today, Washington is badly broken.  Even Chuck himself has already had a segment on his first MTP show titled “Who Needs Washington?”  But is it right to look at Washington and to almost call yourself an “outsider”, even though you have been an “insider” for the past 22 years?

It is going to be very important that, just as Mr. Russert had done, Chuck must make it clear to his viewers that he does not agree with the current outrage against Washington.  Especially when he is already a serious member of the DC media elite.

Chuck’s viewers must understand that Washington today is very different from the Washington of yesterday.  In past decades, the nation’s lawmakers were required to spend months at a time working in the capital.  They would also start getting to know each other as real people, other than just competitive partisan politicians. Those friendships and their goodwill helped them back then, to cut the necessary deals it took to succeed in the capital.  That’s the way functioning democracies are supposed to work.

However, almost two decades ago, being a “Washington insider” became a political liability.  All the politicians then began jetting into town only for their three-day work-weeks.  That was when the demonetization of their opponents began, instead of them beginning to get to know each other.  The end result today is the current divide and partisan difference that is now in earnest between the two major political parties.

Today, Americans are rightfully disgusted with how Washington just doesn’t seem to work anymore.  But to get off to a good start, Mr. Todd cannot start by trying to sell himself as one of those, “outsiders”.  The solution is not to engage in why it’s so hard to live and work there, nor should any serious media person try to pretend that they are “outsiders”.

The role of a Washington political journalist is to continue to ask tough questions of the powerful, and to expose to America just  why their government isn’t working.  They should also offer some input as to what needs to be done to fix the current political stalemates.

…The longest running Meet The Press host, the late, Tim Russert.

Chuck Todd would do well to study up on how Tim Russert conducted business on MTP for his 16 year run, and to then adapt himself in a similar fashion, at least where that makes sense.

Washington cannot continue in its current mode of a non-functioning government and at some point, everyone will have to adapt.

Eventually, the voting public will force that situation.....but that could still take years.

Copyright G.Ater  2014